Session is getting into business with regular committee meetings and bill hearings. The agriculture committees heard presentations from the Department of Agriculture, the Board of Animal Health, the University of Minnesota College of Food and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota Extension, and broadband industry stakeholders. The environment committees heard updates from the Department of Natural Resources and the Pollution Control Agency, along with several bills.

 

On Thursday, the Senate Labor Committee passed SF 310 (DORNINK, Kupec, Hauschild, Draheim, Putnam), which would exempt farms with five or less full-time employees from the earned sick and safe time law passed in 2023. MFBF provided verbal testimony in support of the change, which would be in addition to the existing agricultural exemption for seasonal workers. The panel, which is comprised of six Democrats and six Republicans, approved the measure on a bipartisan vote of 8-4 with Senator Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead) and Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) joining Republicans. MFBF is thankful for their support of this legislation, which next goes to the Senate Agriculture Committee.

 

Other bills this week:

SF 30 (NELSON, Putnam, Weber)/HF XXXX - Portability provision of the estate tax exclusion.

Summary: Allows a surviving spouse to use the remaining estate tax exclusion amount from a deceased spouse.

Position: Support as written.

To our members: Spousal portability is available with the federal estate tax exclusion, but not at the state level. Minnesota is an outlier in this regard. Portability will help minimize tax consequences and ultimately make it easier to preserve and transition family farms.

Action taken by MFBF: Provided verbal testimony in support of the legislation.

Status: Laid over in the Senate Taxes Committee on 01/23/2025. Not yet introduced in the House.

 

SF 245 (WEBER, Dahms, Rest)/HF XXXX - Qualified relatives expansion for special agricultural homestead.

Summary: Adds grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and stepfamily as eligible to actively farm an unoccupied property under the special ag homestead.

Position: Support as written.

To our members: Family farms and ranches take many different shapes, including involvement of extended family and stepfamily. This change to the special ag homestead recognizes that and ensures that the homestead status will not be lost simply because the property is being farmed by a non-linear family member.

Action taken by MFBF: Provided verbal testimony in support of the legislation.

Status: Laid over in Senate Taxes Committee on 01/22/2025. Not yet introduced in the House.

 

SF 469 (JOHNSON, Farnsworth, Eichorn, Rarick, Utke)/HF XXXX - Wolf and elk depredation payments appropriation.

Summary: Increases the annual amount of funding available for wolf and elk depredation payments.

Position: Support as written.

To our members: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has already exhausted its depredation funding for this fiscal year, meaning they will not be able to pay out any more claims until July. Farmers deserve to be compensated for loss of crops, fencing, or livestock due to wildlife, and there is a glaring need for more funding in this program.

Action taken by MFBF: Notified legislators of our support.

Status: Introduced and referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee on 01/21/2025. Not yet introduced in the House.

 

The MFBF public policy team and leadership are keeping track of everything that happens at the Capitol. Throughout the session, we will continue to provide updates and insight into our work on behalf of our members.